Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Toyota Prius (First Generation)
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I personally and not happy about this. The order system is slow, but it avoids a lot of the shady dealer practices. I'll be interested to see how things go from here. If demand stays high, it may become common to find the Prius marked up over sticker, but at least you'll be able to get it faster than 4 months.
Thanks.
I'd like to thank the participants on this forum, especially cliffy1, for helping me make this decision.
One odd thing about the purchase: I placed my order in mid-December. I was told it would be four to five months. That is a little longer than I was anticipating, but it was satisfactory for two reasons. First, I expect it will be the car my daughter uses to get to school, and she does not yet have her license. She should be getting it in a couple months, so the timing fit.
Second, I anticipate a bonus in March. I planned to us that money, and did not plan to finance.
On the 3rd of January I got an email from Toyota telling me that my order was placed. I was a bit surprised that this email arrived almost three weeks after placing the order. I wasn't sure whether it meant that the order went in slower than I expected, or whether there was a delay in sending out the confirmation.
The next Monday I got a call from the dealer telling me the car was on their lot.
Needless to say, I was surprised.
And I suppose it was good news that it was in early, but I had to scramble to figure out how to pay for it.
It's still early, but I really like this car. I confess it drives more like a small car than I remembered in my test drive, but that would only be a problem if I were planning to use it for long highway trips. I don't.
The computer registered 48 MPG on my first full tank, but the actual mileage was 46. I plan to monitor it to get a better sense of the bias between the computer numbers and the real numbers. I anticipate that the mileage will get a little better, the early indications on the second tank seem to bear that out. My goal is to break 50 mpg for a tank.
What do you think of editor Neil Dunlop's review?
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
The Honda Insight is too small to be a serious competitor to the Prius. Same with Honda CRX-HF and the Metro.
CR often ignores important details in auto testing. Amusing to me that the small Passat with very poor rear visibility can be their #1 rated family sedan.
It's now possible to keep the high tech radio RDS system, and add CD/MP3 capability too.
If you fit this description and care to share your input on the subject, please contact Kristen Gerencher at kgerencher@marketwatch.com or Jeannine Fallon at jfallon@edmunds.com by noon EST Tuesday, March 19.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
Don't forget tonight's Town Hall Chat, 5-7 pm PT/8-10 pm ET. Tonight's topic -- Why my next car will/won't be a hybrid.
Hope you can make it!
kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
I believe this battery just provides power to the computers, security system, lights and radio, when the engine isn't running or the car isn't moving. (I believe the motor-generator powers these functions then). Wish I had the circuit diagrams.
The car maximum allowable has a shutdown loss of 30-40 milliamperes. This P shows 9-12ma, except when one time at Toy when they got a 49ma reading.
The 12 volt battery is small like a motorcycle battery. It is a gel type, which I guess means it won't slosh around acid on turns.
Methinks either 1) the battery is not being charged properly, or 2) it has an intermittent larger shutdown draw that has only shown up once at Toy.
30-40 ma continual draw seems tiny compared to the size of the battery and the fuses used.
Now Toy says if the car is left for more than 4 days the 12 v battery should be disconnected. Rediculous!!!!
Anyone else have this problem?
Given how many owners use hybrids, this would be a real show-stopper if true. I have certainly not heard anything like this from the Honda side of the fence...
The Prius only comes as an automatic, and that is what we test drove yesterday.
Having owned my Honda Accord for 17 years now, I have to admit I'm biased towards Hondas, but facts are facts. The Toyota Prius outperformed the Honda Civic Hybrid in two significant areas where we found the Civic lacking: Where we were less than thrilled with the Civic Hybrid's acceleration, the Prius took off up an uphill freeway entrance ramp with punch and pep comparable to any other compact economy car. Where Honda only offers the Civic Hybrid in three limited and boring colors, the Prius comes in at least six colors, including a nice navy color we thought would be a good pick for my girlfriend who is now a vice president of her environmental engineering firm, and something a guy like me wouldn't be embarrassed to drive as well.
While quirky and unconventional, the interior of the Prius is also more aesthetically pleasing than the two-tone Civic interior. The dash mounted automatic shift lever takes a little getting used to, as do the digital readouts and touch screen computer, but so what? When most people still think you have to plug these cars in at night, what's wrong with educating your passengers as they ride. The Prius' interior also makes you feel as if you're in more of a luxury car than you actually are. The Civic Hybrid's interior makes you feel as if you're riding in just another Civic. The only advantage that the current Civic Hybrid has over the Prius right now is that the Prius wheel wells may be too small to accommodate chains.
Even though the word on the street is that the Honda Civic Hybrid standard version has better acceleration than the Prius, and Honda promises better exterior colors in the future, we don't have time to sit around and wait for Honda to get their act together. We're buying a Prius next week.
Chris Thatcher
Postscript: The Sierra Club's magazine "Sierra," published an article in their May/June 2002 issue (p. 64) where they compared the performance and environmental impact of a Toyota Prius Hybrid to a GMC Yukon SUV in a side-by-side road trip of over 700 miles in Florida. The Prius costs $20,450, the Yukon costs $35,552. Over the identical distance, the Prius achieved an overall gas mileage of 44.5 mpg, while the Yukon only achieved 16.3 mpg. The Prius used 16.24 gallons of gas during the entire trip, at a cost of $22.84, while the Yukon burned through 43.01 gallons, at a cost of $60.21. The Prius only produced an estimated 308.56 pounds of CO2, versus 817.19 pounds for the Yukon.
Prius owners would probably see a fuel economy drop, but chains wouldn't help fuel economy very much either - kinda high rolling resistance there, I think.
1) I own a '02 Prius
2) The 12 volt battery is very small in relation to a normal car battery.
3) The 12 volt battery DOES NOT START THE CAR.
4) The 12 volt battery only powers the computer and the anti-theft system.
5) If you leave the car for long periods of time the 12 Volt battery will probably have enough charge to allow a start after at least a month.
6) The 12 volt battery can be jumped like any other car.
7) Go to yahoo_groups and read the Thousands of owners comments and problems and likes and dislikes in the prius groups.
thanks.
steve d.
How does the car handle in the wind? I saw the reports in Edmunds about their Insight, and since I often have to deal with high winds, I wouldn't get one.
How comfortable are the seats for long trips? I found out a month after I bought it that the Tacomas have very uncomfortable seats if you have trips over an hour. Since my commute usually takes an hour and a half, comfortable seats are very important for me, and something that is hard to judge during a test drive.
I was impressed with the acceleration getting on the freeway, but the test drive was on totally level ground (no hills around the dealership). I would have to drive a freeway that goes up a long, steep mountain at freeway speeds. My 4 banger, 5 speed Tacoma often passes Honda Civics and Metros on the steep parts, only to have them "blow my doors off" when the freeway levels out. Would I be stuck in the slow lane with the Civics, Metros and 18 wheelers if I were driving a Prius?
Thanks for all your information!
At least the main battery pack is warrenteed for 8 years and 100,000 miles - which is pretty good and it is designed for at least 200,000 miles which is better. Actual real world experience shows no change in that battery pack after many owners having 40k and more miles to date - on US cars. Owners in Japan have had their cars for almost 3 more years now and we have not heard of any problems to speak of with the main battery pack.
The car is a steel car and will probably rot out long before the battery pack dies (at least in the salty areas of the country).
So that is just for one myth.
The other myth is about pay back time versus something like an Echo.
BOLD FACE NOW::
MOST OF US BUY THE PRIUS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT _ NOT JUST LINE OUR POCKETS WITH EXTRA CHANGE BECAUSE OF GREAT GAS MILEAGE.
Was that loud enough?
Anyway - sure you can also buy a Volkswagon Diesel which matches the mileage or even does better than the Prius, but it is FILTHY to your lungs and our world..
Myths, myths , myths..
Someday I hope people realize that we all can do something about our environment and probably should be individually doing something.
It is surely known that our current government will only help the industries that pollute much to our demise.
sorry bout the politics..
steve d.
I am not cross shopping the Prius with a little, miserly car, such as the Echo, because of my commute - I don't want to crawl up the steep portions of the freeway going 45-55 mpg when others are going 80.
I'm really interested in economy but not at the expense of everything else. My one way commute is usually an hour and a half, covers 75 highway miles, varying from slow-n-go to 75-is-too-slow, and (going home) almost 6,000 feet elevation gain. I need something that I won't burn trannys out every year (I did that with a 4 banger Nissan auto pickup), that can go up steep freeway grades at 65 or more, and that will be comfortable to ride in for long periods of time (something my Tacoma isn't). My gas bill is a large portion of my budget, so lowering it while being more comfortable than I am now is the most important thing for me. And what is wrong with that? If I buy a Prius it will because it will meet my transportation needs - otherwise I won't buy it, no matter how much better for the environment it might be.
It does seem at first glance to meet many of my needs. I know it won't meet all of them, but I have another vehicle that can handle those times when the Prius can't get out of the driveway. I really have a thing against shovels and chains at 4am...
First of all, the instrument panel does take a little getting used to because it's not in front of you like a normal car. Also, the shape of the Prius may not be to some people's liking, either.
Anyway, what pleasantly surprised me was how much low end "pep" the Prius has. Getting onto the freeway was almost as good as my own Honda Civic HX CVT coupe, thanks to the CVT-like transmission on the car.
The first few days my brother has the car he reported fuel mileage of 47 miles per US gallon, not bad considering part of his commute is on the freeway.
I would not be surprised that a more powerful variant of the hybrid drive system on the Prius ends up on the Corolla within a few years.
Since then nothing. I have read the 12v battery voltage daily or better and it's swang from 12.4 to almost 15 on a 2 place digital voltmeter. Seems to be more contact resistance or temperature dependent than due to discharge/recharge. However there appears to be a small run on these 12v batteries, based on back-orders for same.
The purpose here is to keep outr ear to the ground on problems; not to blast the other guy as an idiot.
I've thought of tieing two 6 volt lantern batteries together for an emergency jumper over the aux battery for my wife but stopped upon realiztion that that would be screwing with her warranty. Better to call the free Toyota road service to jumper her on some lonely night in a dark parking lot. No, she has no cell phone!
My wife loves her little Prius but she borrows my Camry if she goes somewhere at night.
The emergency backup battery is a ggod idea. It can't be much load to power the computers and close a start relay. Why hasn't Toyota thought of that? Even if they have no bugs in their wiring, machinery, or software, any battery can go bad. (Reminds me of years ago when Toyota ignition transistors failed you dead and Toyota had a recall to replace all of them.)
A Prius should work well for you except for the 6000' elevation gain. Any hybrid system will pull from the battery during peak periods. If your load factor requires sustained peak power you run the risk of draining the battery and then having to crawl home in turtle mode. It depends upon the actual route - is it straight up or are there flat stretches?
I'd recommend test driving one over your commute before buying. If the battery stays charged as you go up the hill the Prius should be a good car for you.
http://www.canoe.ca/BizTicker/CANOE-wire.AUTO-Honda-Hybrid.html
Anyway, about the article from post 846, I got the impression that Honda had to build two cars to get to the Prius in terms of practicality and design. I'd have a hard time buying the Insight (very small, impractical, and manual tranny), but the Prius is the closest thing to an actual gasoline-powered car.
Anyone else test drive both these cars and have impressions? I'd especially like to hear from people who test drove both and bought the Prius. Thanks.
Rob
La Grange, TX
Rob
Houston, Tx
Of course, Honda and Toyota must be loving that attitude.
The reduction in sulfur in Calif diesel has allowed VW to [temporarily] meet the CA emissions stds. It will take another leap of technology to make it work after the next change in the law, but that appears possible also if sulfur content gets reduced to the mandated federal level of 15 ppm or less [due in '07].
2. I tried and tried to get myself into a TDI and almost did. Couldn't resolve VW service reputation and third world build sites. Otherwise the cars ARE great but still are about the same price as the Prius when you get them loaded with 4 doors.
3. Low sulfur diesel would help diesel technology to come to the US; it will be in 2007 courtesy of restrictions lobbied for the the petroeum industry here. Surprise, surprise!